Saturday, March 17, 2007

Ethanol: The next generation
Near a cluster of purple petunias in a Thousand Oaks, Calif., greenhouse sprouts a key weapon in the nation's push into biofuels.

Greenspan: Subprime spill unlikely
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The troubles plaguing lenders of risky mortgages are not likely to spill over into the broader economy unless housing prices see another substantial dip, former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said Thursday.

Wal-Mart withdraws bid to establish bank
WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart is dropping its bid to establish a bank after months of heated debate about whether the world's largest retailer should be allowed to gain the added financial power of a federally insured bank.

Lawmaker: Wal-Mart planning bank move
Wal-Mart may be eyeing a larger role in banking than it has previously disclosed, according to lease details made public Thursday by a congressman who accused the world's largest retailer of hiding plans to become a retail bank.

Durant focuses on present, not future
SPOKANE, Wash. - Back when his friends were going to movies, hanging out at parties, learning to drive and all the other things teenagers do, Kevin Durant was in the gym.

Dear Abby: Family uneasy when one sister dates other's ex
Dear Abby: My sister, "Jane," and I are both in our mid-50s. Jane has had numerous affairs over the past several years after her third divorce, and was involved in an "intimate relationship" with a terrific man, "Will," that lasted about three months.

Dear Abby: Widow fears past may jeopardize future
Dear Abby: The one-year anniversary of my husband's death is approaching. It has been a long and difficult year, but my children and I are mending. With the anniversary date coming up next month, we have all been feeling depressed.

Dr. Gott: Does pepper stop bleeding?
Dear Dr. Gott: I have a question that may at first sound like a question for a veterinarian, but in actuality it is for all species (human and animal).

Mediate seeking another meeting with Palmer
ORLANDO, Fla. - Imagine how Rocco Mediate felt the first time he met Arnold Palmer on a golf course. He was 19 when friends secretly arranged a golf game at Latrobe, and the kid was so overcome by seeing the King that he nearly turned and ran.

Strouhal, Rebs shut down Plainview in Keller Classic
Tascosa, led by junior pitcher Brian Strouhal's 12-strikeout performance, looks primed to make a run at the championship of the Randy Keller Memorial Baseball Classic after Thursday's solid opening round 3-1 win over Plainview at Rebel Field.

NBA fines Jackson, Lakers
NEW YORK - The Los Angeles Lakers and Phil Jackson were fined $50,000 apiece by the NBA on Thursday after the coach said the league was conducting a "witch hunt" against Kobe Bryant.

Official: Floyd JP shoots spouse
The Texas Rangers and the Floyd County District Attorney's office are investigating a shooting incident involving Floyd County Justice of the Peace Michelle Araujo.

Faulty tower hampers police
Eight hundred feet at its deepest point, the walls of the Palo Duro Canyon State Park can make a hard obstacle for first responders trying to communicate in an emergency.

Sanction court planned
Almost 400 offenders violated their probation and were sent back to prison or state jail last year. A new court is aimed at decreasing that number.

Column: Beilue: Bite leaves lasting mark
It was nothing for Robert Morris to stack 50 bales of hay into his barn or unload 25 50-pound sacks of feed, and this was after a full day's work as an electrical contractor in the oil fields near Pampa. He may be 65, but sure didn't act it.

Cheese facility water not up to standards
CLOVIS, N.M. - Clovis' wastewater treatment plant has delayed taking wastewater from a cheese-making facility because nitrogen levels are up to double the city's standard.

Thinking Out Loud
If the airline industry, helped by the federal government, is going to search and interrogate grandmothers for the sake of national security, it would seem more appropriate steps would also be necessary to assure the safety of airline passengers.

Column: Kevin Horrigan: Money talks: Free speech for sale
ST. LOUIS - Some years ago, in a previous life as a radio talk show host, I set what I believe still stands as a modern commercial radio record for most consecutive shows devoted to the evils of the American campaign finance system.

Lady Buffs face Tarleton State
West Texas A&M will try to dig its way out of the Lone Star Conference South Division softball cellar today as it opens a four-game series at 1 p.m. today against Tarleton State in Stephenville.

WT baseball begins home series today
West Texas A&M, following a five-game road trip, returns home today, opening a four-game Lone Star Conference crossover series with Southeastern Oklahoma.

Buffs lose doubleheader, fall to 5-17
C.J. Stewart tossed a four-hit shutout and Travis Bell and Jordan Samore combined on a six-hitter to lead Southeastern Oklahoma St. to a doubleheader victory against West Texas A&M on Friday at the Amarillo National Bank Dilla Villa.